She gives a sharp bark of laughter. ‘Let’s not kid ourselves, Butler. You’re way past that age. How old are you now?’

‘Forty-three next month.’

Mina finishes the last swig of her tea. ‘Good job you’re a bloke,’ she says to her mug.

Noise starts up again in the kitchen: Josh talking quickly, Freya giggling.

‘What are they up to?’ Mina says, getting to her feet. She grabs Robin’s hand and pulls him off the sofa. The two of them go to the kitchen and stand in the doorway.

Freya is standing next to the freezer, which is now shut.

‘Push!’ Freya shouts at the closed lid. ‘Push harder.’

‘Is Josh…’ Robin starts, as the lid pops open and Josh stands up, putting his arms out in a triumphant salute. He is wearing clothes that Robin recognises as Freya’s – an old T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, far too small for him – and Robin bitchily enjoys the normally pristine Josh looking such a state.

‘See,’ Josh crows. ‘It is possible. And it’s way harder to get out of there than I thought it would be.’

‘So, what?’ Robin asks, looking from them to the freezer. ‘Your theory is he got in that freezer by himself, then couldn’t get out and suffocated?’

‘Yes, why not?’ Josh replies. ‘He would have been looking for somewhere dry, and with those teenagers in the bus shelter, he had nowhere else to go.’

‘But an old freezer?’ Robin looks doubtful, and Freya points at him.

‘See? I’m not the only one who thinks your theory is bullshit.’

‘It was blowing a full-on gale. He’s cold, wet. Probably not thinking straight. How do you know what you’d do in such circumstances?’

Robin raises his hands in defeat. ‘Okay, okay. You have a point. But it’s a theory, Josh, that’s all. How do you prove it?’

The three of them look towards Robin, and he realises how effortless it is for him to take charge. ‘Sorry,’ he mutters. ‘Your case, Josh. Whatever you think.’

Josh nods and stands up a bit straighter. ‘I’ll go and get changed,’ he says, and heads off.

Robin watches him go. Despite his initial misgivings, Josh Smith doesn’t seem like a bad bloke. Sure, he has an air of arrogance and confidence that Robin is suspicious of, but Freya seems to like him. She’s still laughing with Mina, returning her slowly thawing food back to her freezer, putting her kitchen to rights. She has a slight flush on her cheeks.

Being here, throwing theories around, challenging, testing the DCs, Robin realises how much he misses being at work. Being back to his usual job. A case that doesn’t involve his oldest friend. Where he can immerse himself in the evidence and the theories and the teamwork. Everything with Finn is exhausting. All the pieces that don’t fit. He just wants it to be over.